Historically intraoral dental radiography has been based on X-ray film. Typically standard dental X-ray film is limited to sizes that can fit inside a human mouth. Similarly, processing machines for dental X-ray film are generally restricted to single film(s) which are limited to these small standard sizes.
The dental and veterinary fields have been moving toward digital radiography systems which use reusable imaging media, such as Photostimulable Phosphor (PSP) plates. In a typical imaging application, a PSP plate is inserted in a patient's mouth and exposed to X-rays, similarly to standard X-ray film. The exposed PSP plate is then removed from the patient's mouth and “developed” by a laser scanner, whereupon the image on the plate is displayed and stored by a computer. The exposed plate is then erased or reset by a flash of bright light and may be reused. Current systems are typically limited to small standard dental plate sizes. Alternatives for capturing larger radiographic imaging can be expensive and difficult.